Response to Intervention within IDEIA 2004: Get Ready South Carolina Bradley S. Witzel, PhD Department of Curriculum and Instruction Richard W. Riley College of Education Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC

How do we currently identify students with learning disabilities? Prereferral interventions Significant Discrepancy calculations –If a student’s IQ is 1.5 standard deviations (22 points) above their achievement scores, then they may qualify for learning disability services – Easy to calculate intra-individual needs –  Does not always address early academic failures –  Does not address legal definition of learning disabilities (processing)

IDEIA quotes (2) Conduct of Evaluations – In conducting the evaluation, the local educational agency shall – (A) use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to gather relevant functional, developmental, and academic information, including information provided by the parent that may assist in determining – (i) whether the child is a child with a disability; and (B) not use any single measure or assessment as the sole criterion for determining whether a child is a child with a disability or determining an appropriate educational program for the child; and (C) use technically sound instruments that may assess the relative contribution of cognitive and behavioral factors, in addition to physical or developmental factors.

IDEIA quotes (3) Additional Requirements – Each local educational agency shall ensure that – (A) assessments and other evaluation materials use to assess a child under this section – (i) are selected and administered so as not to be discriminatory on a racial or cultural basis; (ii) are provided and administered in the language and form most likely to yield accurate information on what the child knows and can do academically, developmentally, and functionally, unless it is not feasible to so provide or administer; (iii) are used for purposes for which the assessments or measures are valid and reliable; (iv) are administered by trained and knowledgeable personnel; and (v) are administered in accordance with any instructions provided by the producer of such assessments;

IDEIA quotes (6) Specific Learning Disabilities – (A) In general – Notwithstanding section 607(b), when determining whether a child has a specific learning disability as defined in section 602, a local educational agency shall not be required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, or mathematical reasoning.

IDEIA quotes (6) Specific Learning Disabilities – (B) Additional Authority – In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as a part of the evaluation procedures described in paragraphs (2) and (3).

SLD Definition in IDEIA 2004 “The term specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.”

Summary of IDEIA 2004 Severe discrepancy between ability and achievement is no longer required Multiple assessment tools are required SLD assessment requires more than one measure or assessment Assessment can not discriminate against race or culture Definition still includes processing

Response to Intervention (RTI) begins Allowed as part of the evaluation process You may have already attempted this approach Teachers use evidence-based interventions in a problem solving approach to help students with LD Thus, we need to become better informed of research involving students with learning difficulties and disabilities Once an intervention is successful, that instruction must continue We become consultants in general education classrooms If interventions are unsuccessful, then learning disabilities are possible This may work as a pre-referral to significant discrepancy

RTI pros and cons RTI may be a reasonable approach to help children who are doing poorly and need different instruction Will allow teachers to work earlier with students May improve overall instruction in general education classrooms Warnings – –RTI is not researched well enough yet (Fuchs, et al., 2003) –May lack consistency across teacher, school, districts, states –Still lacks processing assessment (Naglieri & Crockett, 2005)

What we are doing today? Mathematics RTI model for mathematics; CBM and assessments; Math vocabulary (key word strategy); Fact mastery for fluency Language Arts- Phonemic awareness; Listening and reading comprehension; Spelling; Handwriting; Written expression; Vocabulary